


Element of Risk

by karrenia_rune



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: F/M, episode tag: "The Assignment"
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-22 18:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2516945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune





	Element of Risk

Title: The Element of Risk  
Author: karrenia-rune (karen)  
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  
Characters: Miles and Keiko O'Brien  
Contains spoilers for the 5th season episode "The Assignment"  
Rating: PG  
Recipient: scifiroot's multifandom request jumping through hoops  
Request Details: http://community.livejournal.com/fic_on_demand/659293.html

Disclaimer: ST: Deep Space Nine belongs to Paramount, UPN television network and its respective producers and creators; as is not mine, nor are any of the characters.

 

"The Element of Risk" by Karen

Machines, computer wiring and programming he can understand, beyond training, and experience; it's like the machines speak to him on an intuitive level. 

People, however, are more complex. That might explain why he and his wife, Keiko are going through a smidgen of domestic trouble. Miles looks down at his booted feet. 

He is still surprised that he can manage to bend his large, ungainly frame into these tight corners, nooks, and crannies. Miles enjoyed his job as the station engineer mainly because it is a challenging one. 

More often than he would like he has had to graft Federation technology onto pre-existing Cardassian technology. The previous occupants of the station were quite thorough in stripping  
the station of anything the next occupant might find remotely useful.

His task made even more difficult when he's short-handed and the previous residents of the station when they pulled out two decades ago, were quite thorough in making certain that what was left was gutted and stripped, and pretty trashed to within a micro-inch of its life.

Miles grunted in disgust and wedged himself out of his cramped position, stretching to get the kinks out of his muscles. He looked down at the blinking display of his chronometer and realizes that his erstwhile trainee, Nog, is over a half an hour late for his scheduled shift. Knowing the Ferengi propensity for flightiness, Miles gave it up as a lost cause. 

His own shift ends in about fifteen minutes, which should give him more than enough time to head back to his quarters, get in a quick sonic shower, and a change clothes. Keiko will have Molly back from school and have dinner ready and waiting for him.

 

Miles arrived at his quarters surprised the lights dimmed and the room temperature lower than Keiko normally kept it. He knows that the transition from life aboard a starship and life aboard a space station is one that she has not yet really come to terms with it. She missed the regularity and constant variety of a ship.The design of Deep Space Nine is not that conducive to keeping her plants alive and healthy, but still, this is not like her.

"Keiko, I'm home." Miles shouted out, wondering if maybe she's was planning a surprise dinner, which would explain the dimmed interior of their quarters.

He went in, tossing the sack of tools onto the contoured couch in the living quarters and heads in the direction of the kitchenette. He is about to give up looking and ask the station computer for her whereabouts when he noticed that stood by the bedside mirror in their sleeping quarters.

He cleared his throat and said "Good evening. Sorry, I'm back so late. How was your day?"

"Miles," Keiko replied. "We need to talk."

"Sure," he cheerfully replied, "I don't know about you, but I could eat. How about I order us up something from the replicator and we'll discuss whatever you want over a nice hot dinner."

"That will be fine."

As he walked over to the replicator in the kitchen area with Keiko following his lead, Miles darted a rather bemused glance at her. She is  
reserved, quiet, and precise by nature, but this is odd, even for her.

When their meal came out of the replicator he carried it over to the dining table and they both sit down. He took some care in selecting the meal, carefully ordering her favorite delicacies. He does so not because he's particularly hungry, or that he wants to impress her, but something is obviously bothering Keiko and he wants to cheer her up.

Keiko managed a small smile, the meal passes in small talk, exchanges about her work, his repairs, and a few observations that she has made  
regarding the native flora of the planet Bajor. 

"Keiko, I don't mean to be pushy," Miles finally said. "But you wanted to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you, please, tell me."

"Before we both die of old age?" she finished, this time the smile is one that lights up her dark eyes, crinkling the skin around the edges and curving her lips in the way that Miles has always found so endearing, and one of the reasons that he fell in love with her.

"Yeah," Miles laughs, setting down his fork and knife.

"Well, as I mentioned, I've made some fascinating discoveries while I was on Bajor." Keiko paused, tilting her head to one side, thinking something over, before she said: "Do you trust me. I must be absolutely  
certain of that before we proceed any further."

"Of course, I trust you." Miles replied. "You should never have any doubts about that. "Something's wrong, tell me, Keiko."

"Very well, you see, this might be very difficult for you understand, but at this instant, in time you are not speaking to the woman you know  
Keiko, although she is present but unable to act. You are speaking to a Bajoran spirit."

Miles paused in the action of picking up his glass of synthale, his mouth hanging open, not entirely certain of what to make of this last bizarre statement. He took a sip of his synthale, a good healthy swallow and then set down the glass on the table. "Bosh! Keiko, I think we've been cooped on this station for too long. We're both going stir crazy."

"Miles, I know how it sounds," Keiko said.

"Yeah, crazy. So why don't we all just forget about it and enjoy the rest of our dinner, huh?"

Keiko picked up her own knife and leaned forward over the table. "Why don't we make a few plans?"

"Okay, a joke is a joke. And for a second there, you really had me going." Miles paused and reached forward to take the knife from her hands. "Enough, okay?"

Keiko allowed him to take away the knife and leaned back in her chair. "Very well. We will proceed in the manner of your choosing. For now."

Miles is past concern and is verging on worry, and made a mental note to ask Doctor Bashir to give Keiko a full medical checkup first thing in the morning. In the meantime, he got up to begin cleaning up before getting ready for bed. While he moved around their quarters he darted quick inquiring glances at her, but apparently whatever the reason for the odd mood that has come over Keiko she seemed to have come out of it. 

If asked, he would have to say he is relieved, as he told her she really had had him going. After all, he has served aboard the  
station long enough not to discount them out of the ordinary happening; he just never expected anything to happen to Keiko.

In the back of his mind Miles' thinks, "Possessed by the spirit of a Bajoran bogeyman, yeah right! I should save that story up and tell it to our  
daughter, Molly. Bet she'd get a kick out of it. Still, I should remember to make that appointment tomorrow morning.'


End file.
